Shrinking Universe : Omega
by Arialieur
Summary: An accident brought Commander Steve Rogers on the other side of black hole. Mass Effect, The Avengers style. Steve/Tony. Written for Science (Fan)Fiction Day Challenge


Summary : An accident brought Commander Steve Rogers on the other side of black hole. Mass Effect, The Avengers style. Steve/Tony. Written for Science (Fan)Fiction Day Challenge

Disclaimer: All characters belongs to Marvel, the universe used in this story (mostly) belongs to Bioware.

Warning: This fic contains male/male pairing. Also, English is not my first language, so I apologized beforehand for any grammar and spelling mistakes. Currently un-beta-ed.

* * *

**Shrinking Universe : ****Omega**

Sci-Fi, M-Rated, Mass Effect Avengers Style

Steve/Tony

**Written for Science (Fan)Fiction Day Challenge by Ambudaff**

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For thousands of years, humanity always thought they were alone in this universe. With their technologies, they were searching for signs of other civilization. Their telescopes gaze as far as possible, to other galaxies, looking, searching, for anything. Nobody knew that the gate for those other worlds are actually closer to them, just near Pluto, a frozen station called Charon Relay.

This alien technology is fascinating, for lack of better world. It revolutionizes the way human traveled. A technology called Mass Relays, a transportation device that enable starship to transfer instantly from one relay station to another, which is scattered all over the universe, at least one in each planetary system. Mass Relays made it possible for human—any sentient being—to travel across star system and galaxy in short time, even for those distance that may take us centuries to reach by using normal modes.

Suddenly, humans are no longer alone. They become a part of this huge civilization of many species, all centered in the Citadel, a colossal deep-space station governed by a Council of mixed species. War happened, naturally. Many, many wars fought between different species, different allies and enemies. Commander Steve Rogers fought and bleed in those wars as part of Citadel Council's own special force, The Spectre. But it was in the time of peace, when Commander Rogers transported a hundreds of human from their colony in Eden Prime back to Earth.

They were ambushed. All warning lights flashed red before explosions caught the ship's engine. For a moment, Steve feels faint. That's where Bucky is, he realized, but he set aside his grief. They are outgunned, and as much as he'd like to fight till the end, his crew and passenger's safety comes first. Steve commenced for all crew to access their safety pod.

"Steve! You need to go too, now!" Peggy tugged as his arm, making Steve turn back to put both his hands on her shoulder.

"I can't! I need to bide more time so you can safely reach Charon Relay. Go, Peggy! I leave them in your hand."

"Steve!"

"Peggy. This is my choice."

A kiss, and her eyes are wet when she looked at him. "I will search for you."

"Bring them back to earth, Peggy. Bring them back home." He insisted, because Steve knows what he's going to do, know that the possibility of his survival is slim.

_Here it is_, Steve think as he located the black hole, just outside the solar system. His crew was all safely ejected in the safety shuttle, so there's no doubt in his mind when he drove his ship in the black hole's direction, knowing full well that his enemy will follow. At the last moment, though, he turned back to fire all weapons he owned.

The explosion was blinding. The enemy's much bigger ship collided with his as the black hole's gravity pulled them both into darkness. The last thing he remembered was the pain and the cold.

And then, nothing.

* * *

The sounds of constant beeping were the first thing registered in Steve's muddled mind. It feels like he was floating. Slowly, he tried to move his body, but only managed to move his middle finger. His eyelids feel really heavy, and he slowly realized he feels numb all over. Between the faster beeping noises, vaguely he heard people talking.

"—vitals—spiking!"

"—more—"

"—lost—him—"

And it was dark again.

The beeping noises were still there. Steve tried took a deep breath only to realize something logged inside his throat. Absently his hands reach the offending things and pulled—he choked four times—until it was completely out of his mouth. He slowly opened his eyes only to be blinded by bright light.

He raised his right arm to protect his eyes, then after several tries, he made it into sitting position. The first thing registered was that he's inside some kind of a lab. The second thing, he's naked. Specifically, sitting naked on top of an opened glass capsule.

_He's a guinea pig then_, he thought, as he registered a big, glass tube filled with transparent liquid. There's strange taste on his tongue, and he wondered if he was inside that tube.

He tried to remember further, but his head is too hurt to think of complicated things. While massaging his temple, he looked around. The lab is not one he's ever seen before. The walls and floors are white, with lighting seemed directly came from the whole ceiling. Everything is levitated, even the capsule-bed he occupied. He noticed a glass panel on far end wall which contain suits that looks fit with human dimension.

Slowly he lowered himself to the floor. His feet actually reached the floor, but his light step means he is in a place with less gravity than earth. Probably in the space colony, or even the Citadel, he thinks. The levitated things are surprisingly steady when Steve tried to hold on to them while walking, and after what seemed like a long time, he reached the glass case.

The suits are supposedly skin-tight, all black with silver lining on the side. On its left breast stamped a logo Steve didn't recognize, but the writing was in human language—SHIELD, which made him sure that he is in human facility. The glass vanished when Steve touched it, and the blonde man doesn't waste time to wear the suit.

Suddenly the floor was shaken, along with the sounds of explosions. In an instant the lab is washed by red light. _Isn't this seems familiar_, Steve thought. He forced his feet to move to nearest door. He touched the panel from his left, a little bit surprised when it recognized his fingerprint and announced, "Commander Steve Rogers, authorization code 9972653."

Steve hesitated a bit in front of the opened door. The corridor behind it was empty. Before he took another step though, the speaker on the door panel cracked to life. "Commander Rogers, are you awake?"

It was a woman's voice. "Commander Rogers?" she called again.

"Ye—" his voice cracked, but he tried again, "Yes I'm—I'm awake."

"Good to hear that. I am Natasha Romanoff, an agent of SHIELD. We are the one who resurrected you, Commander. Are you with me so far?"

_Resurrected?_ "Yes, Agent."

"Now listen to me, this facility is under attack. I already programmed the system to show you the safe route to safety shuttle. Follow the yellow strips of light, do you copy?"

Steve noticed the yellow stripes of light on the floor and ceiling. Kind of hard to miss them in the dim light. "I copy."

"Good, I'll be waiting for you in the dock. Oh and Commander?"

"Yes?"

"Welcome back in the land of living. Let's hope this time you can stay longer."

Steve spent a good five seconds to stare at the panel before another explosion rocked the floor. He sprinted as fast as possible, following the yellow lines. His body felt lighter than usual, even with the smaller force of gravity. Weird.

Natasha Romanoff is predictably human. Her wavy red hair cropped short just under the ear, and even in the wash of red warning lights, Steve can see that her skin is pale, typical of human in northern hemisphere. She wore a black suit, similar to his, but some kind of gun is attached on a holster on her thigh.

"This way, Commander." She gestured to a… safety shuttle, unlike he's ever seen before. _Just like this whole facility_, his mind supplied.

And as both of them safely encased inside the shuttle and being ejected far away from the lab facility, Steve caught a glimpse of a Collector Cruiser starship shoots blasts after blast, effectively turned the facility into cluster of space debris.

"There better be enough explanation for this." Steve mumbled, but received no response from Natasha.

* * *

Their safety shuttle docked in somewhere similar with Arcturus Stream Relay. However, the locking system is malfunctioned due to their collision with some debris on their way to The Relay.

"Can't we just push the door outwards?" Steve asked impatiently, after they spent an hour waiting for the repairing drones to arrive. Apparently there was another malfunction on other part of the mass relay station, the life-threatening kind, so the system prioritizes it over Steve's.

Natasha arched one perfectly plucked eyebrow at him, "This shuttle was designed for space collision, but be my guest."

"The collision on space would be inwards, we will push outwards, following the actual opening of the door." Steve argued, while flattening both of his palm against the door and push. He successfully opened it after one particularly hard push.

Steve watched as the door was detached from its hinges to drop on the floor. He looked at his hands, slowly clenched and unclenched his fist. It feels strange, this much energy thrummed under his skin. His body is not like how it used to be, that much he was certain.

"Is there something you need to tell me, Agent?"

Natasha doesn't answer. Instead, she rose from her sitting position to walk out of the safety shuttle, leaving Steve to stand near the opening. "Are you going to follow me, Commander?" She asked without turning her body. Only the slight tilt of her head indicates that she talked to Steve.

"Where are we?" Steve asked, finally, after following her in silence for five minutes.

"Arcturus Stream Relay."

"But…it's different from what I knew."

"I can't tell you the details now, but there's one thing for sure…" Natasha stopped walking in front of a metal door. She punched a code to the panel on its side, then the door opened and Steve can't help but gasp. Even with a passing glance, the man would know that the technological appearance in front of him is way more advanced than what he used to have.

"Welcome, to the 30th century, Commander."

Well, that explains a lot of things, really.

* * *

"What is your last memory, Commander?"

They are inside of a laboratory, again, with the levitating capsules and trays, the same sleek, white floors and ceilings. Steve, now shirtless, is occupying one of the capsules while a drone took his blood sample. The holographic monitor is showing something that Steve assumed was his health stats.

"Call me Steve, please. I was on year 2146CE? A Collector's ship attacked us. We managed to take it down but the damage to our ship was really bad. I remember our ship was pulled by…the black hole."

"I hate to break it to you, but this is no longer year 2146CE." A sandy-blond haired man said from one of the capsules. Natasha introduced him as Clint Barton, a fellow agent of SHIELD. Agent Barton said he was one of the humans injected with biotic implants—a body enhancement that enabled them to create mass effect fields, manipulating energy to move objects, generating barriers or restrain enemy, maybe more than that nowadays—thus, the medical check-up. Steve met several biotic-enhanced individuals, he had to admit that biotic ability does come in handy.

"The black hole jumped you several hundred years, Commanders. One of our exploration agents found the remains of your ship—and your frozen body—in a small planet near the remains of Bahak system. We were lucky the ice preserved your body almost perfectly, so we don't need to reconstruct much of it when we resurrect you."

Steve noticed Natasha's refusal to call him by his given name, but let it slide. Instead he browsed the images and information on his tablet, all of it about The Super Soldier Project, the one that brought him back to life. Apparently they implanted cybernetic implants to reconstruct his body and jump-start his neurological functions, pouring massive resources in order to do so. Steve doesn't know what to make of this.

"Why was I…resurrected?"

"The Great War three hundred years ago decimated almost all data archives. The Citadel was even rendered inactive at that time, and the loss of people was…massive. Even The Quarian lost major part of their history. Our technology was set back a few centuries, and now the universe is rebuilding still, Commander, and you are possibly the only link to history that we have."

"That, and you get yourself a perfect guinea pig for this Super Soldier project."

Natasha's lips curved outwards. "Not me, our scientist. But yeah, you were dead anyway, so it shouldn't violate the laws."

"I guess not. This project means you guys are preparing for another war, I assume." Because really, what's the use of a super soldier if it's not for war?

"We should hope not, Commander. That's another reason for us to resurrected you." A man with dark skin said as he entered the lab. He strolled inside the lab like he owned it, and judging from Natasha's straighter pose, he probably does. Steve noticed the eyepatch over the man's left eye though, but didn't comment about it.

"I'm Nicholas Fury, head of SHIELD." That man extends his hand for Steve to shake. _Good to know something hasn't change in several hundred years_, Steve thought as he held the man's hand.

"Commander Steve Rogers of the Howling Commando, Sir. I served the Citadel Council as part of the Spectre."

Clint raised one of his eyebrows, "You must be very good, then." He commented. Spectre is the Citadel Council's elite force. For a human to be part of it at Steve's time was extraordinary, that much Clint know despite the lack of history archives.

Fury pulled a holographic monitor to show him a map of the galaxy. "Human civilization has come a long way, Commander, from the first time we discovered the alien technology called Mass Relays." He enlarged the image of Charon Relay, the closest Mass Relay from Earth.

Steve already knew about that, he traveled to many Mass Relays, which usually located on each solar system. He's traveled across galaxies, moving human colonies and slowly uncovering the mystery of Reapers. "I'm familiar with that, yes."

"But despite the familiarity with the technology, we know nothing about the knowledge. I believe Agent Romanoff has told you about The Great War?"

Steve nodded.

"That war was between all races in the universe. Literally. Everyone was each other's enemy." Fury continued, "It ended when one of the Mass Relay was destroyed, creating a supernova big enough to destroy the solar system and short-circuited all the connected Mass Relays, together with all the nearest technology. We lost all of our collective history, database and the people knowledgeable in it."

Everyone is silent, letting Steve slowly digest all of that information.

"I still don't understand why you guys spent so many resources for me if the war is already ended." Steve said, finally. Because he needs to understand, he need to hear it from Fury himself that he's not just exist as a lab rat.

Fury pulled another holographic image. This time it was a video of The Collector's ship destroying the laboratory station he was in. "This past ten years, human colonies have gone missing, abducted by a mysterious beings called The Collectors. This unknown forces took many humans, the same forces that destroyed SHIELD laboratory—the one where we revived you. They disabled our whole sensors and communication and—"

"They have incredible firepowers, yeah. It was one of these that landed me on the wrong side of the black hole. My starship was ambushed, since we're bringing passengers from human colony back to earth. I managed to get them all to safety shuttle, but I need to stall these Collectors so my crews can escape safely to Charon Relay." But they are long gone, Steve realized with tightness in his chest. He hasn't had the time to properly mourn them.

"So you're familiar with these guys?" Fury asked.

"Destroyed several of them. That starship belongs to the Collectors. True to their name, they collects many sentient species in the galaxy—especially human—and turned them into their personal lab rat, but I guess you already know that."

"We need everything you know about them, Commander, because the number of human being abducted has risen sharply. If what you said about them being turned into lab rats are true, that only means they are preparing for a war."

This time Steve raised his head until his eyes meet Fury. "I will provide you with everything I can remember—or better yet, if you keep my old ship, I happened to keep a Prothean artifact inside, stolen from The Collector. If we can decipher it, we'll know more about whatever we faced, rather than from my limited knowledge only. Do you know someone familiar with Prothean technology?"

This time, Fury sighs, "Well, I happen to know someone like that." He said, "You need to recruit him by yourself though, because SHIELD does not have the best relationship with this particular engineer. Romanoff, Barton, you are to escort Commander Rogers to Stark. Make him cooperate, God forbid he make it easier for us. Tell him that he still owe me that damn helicarrier station." With that, Fury walked out of the room, leaving Steve with the two agents.

Barton chuckled, "This will be interesting." He said, but after catching Steve's confused glance, he elaborate, "Well, Stark does have love-and-hate relationship with us. He drove Fury through the wall, yet he's the best engineer that we have. Almost all SHIELD ships were designed by him." On his hands, a holographic image of a man appeared.

Tony Stark is written on top of the page. It's an image of a brunette man in his mid-thirties, earth year, with sharp brown eyes. His lips curled upwards in a smirk, framed by a neatly trimmed goatee. Confident, wealthy, and arrogant. The second image is of an Asarian, named Pepper Potts, Stark's right-hand woman. Her skin is blue, as normal Asari people, with the distinct cartilage scalp crest on top of her head, instead of hairs like human. The third one is Obadiah Stane, a Bavarian. He has humanoid body, with mottled-yellow skin, but the four black, beady eyes on his face is the most distinguishing attribute. The head of Stark's bodyguard force. The last one is Quarian, which does not look different with any other Quarians due to the full body suit and hood covering their body. His name is R'hodey, Stark's close friend.

"Where can we find them?" Steve asked.

"Omega station."

"He's not in earth?" Steve can't help but ask.

Clint was silent for a moment, suddenly looks uncomfortable. "I don't know how to put this, but… Earth is… no more, Commander. The destroyed relay was Charon Relay. Its supernova-sized explosion wiped out the whole Sol System, Earth included."

"What? But—how?"

"Nobody was certain how and why, because we lost all records of history that day." And the people who knew was dead with the explosion, is what Clint didn't say, but Steve can catch its meaning all the same.

Suddenly Steve feels suffocated. He expected his friends and family to be dead already but to be robbed of his opportunity to come home to Earth as well is…staggering.

Someone's hand pats him on the shoulder. Steve followed it with his eyes, and found Natasha looked at him sympathetically. He can feel her warmth through the thin fabric of his shirt, yet he still feels cold inside. "I'll show you to your room, Steve." Natasha said, squeezing his shoulder lightly before letting go. "You will need much rest, tomorrow will be a busy day."

Later, on the confines of his SHIELD-issued temporary room, Steve curled up to a ball and cried.

* * *

Steve, Natasha and Clint reached Omega station through the Mass Relays. The station is different from what Steve remembered, but still familiar with its jellyfish-like shape. It was still the same station built from the remains of asteroid, with its twisted alleyway that will make him lost if he's not paying attention. Most of the rough texture of asteroid is gone though, replaced by the same sleek metal used in seemingly every station nowadays. _Some things never change_, Steve thought as he see a group of Krogan gathering near an alleyway, glaring menacingly to everyone who walked too close.

The Afterlife Club, though, surprised Steve just by being exist. It was existed several hundred years ago, for a club to still existing after all this time is amazing, one more thing familiar to Steve.

All things considered, nothing could prepare Steve for an encounter with Tony Stark. Nobody told him that the infamous engineer is the _de facto_ ruler of Steve remembered the Asari pirate that once ruled the station and comparing how different the two rulers are. The species is different, of course, Steve mused as he watched Tony Stark moved from one patron to another. The man charmed everyone he talked with, human and aliens alike, but Steve can see the rigidity of his stance. Stark's eyes are aware of his surroundings, cataloguing each and every element of his territory, assessing any potential threat. By his side stood his right-hand woman, an Asarian called Pepper. Steve wondered if she knows what 'pepper' is in earth language.

That pair of brown eyes caught Steve's, which he met head on. Stark made a move to approach Steve, but he was bypassed by Natasha. As the red haired woman engaged Stark in a conversation, that man is still occasionally avert his gaze to Steve's direction.

Finally, Stark and Natasha moved towards the grand stair, presumably to Stark's private office. Steve emptied his glass and followed them, looking around to spot Clint around the perimeter. The agent did mention that his specialty is long-range combat. Steve doubt it will come to actual combat here, he cannot imagine Stark will be as careless as to risk destroying his own club, but both Clint and Natasha insisted that Stark is a loose cannon.

Then why go through all the trouble in hiring Stark as the engineer of SHIELD's starships?

_Because he is the best_, Steve realized, as he entered Stark's private office. It is a transparent dome, giving them illusion that they are walking on outer space. Steve can only see the stars under his feet, no floor, nothing. Gravity still works in the room, though, because it feels like they are walking on solid surface.

Stark walked to a cluster of red and gold sofas, then gestured for Natasha to sit down. When Steve approached them, Stark's eyes raked his figure from top to bottom, eyes calculating. Trying his best to hide his awkwardness, Steve opted to sit on the furthest seat from Stark.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Stark's voice is a baritone, with a little husk on his tone. Up close, Stark is much more attractive than in the brief document. However, there's something in the way Stark behaves that irks Steve.

"SHIELD business, Stark." Natasha answered.

"What? They want you to be my assistant again? Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer not to make close acquaintance with someone who stabbed my neck."

"To save your life. Stop being a baby and let's talk business. Fury said you owe him a helicarrier."

Stark scoffed, "I owed him nothing."

Natasha opened her mouth to argue, but Steve beat her to it. "Mr. Stark," He started, "We're here to ask you a favor."

Stark's lips curled into a smirk, "For someone as handsome as you? Ask away, darling."

Steve ignored the pet name, "We need your expertise, and your ship."

"And what makes you think I'm gonna willingly give you both just because you batted your eyelashes at me?"

"You're the best in Prothean technology."

Stark lean back to the sofa, "That I am."

"I happen to have a Prothean artifact lying around, waiting to be picked up and analyze. Are you with me, or not?"

Stark was silent, but Steve can see glint of excitement in his eyes. "Very interesting." he props his chin on his hand, body inclined closer to Steve's direction.

"Interesting, indeed. Did I miss any important things, gentlemen?" Pepper strolled inside casually, "…and lady." she added after noticing Natasha.

"Aside from their offer for me to investigate Prothean technology? Nothing much." Stark reached Pepper's hand and guide him to sit beside him. "Natasha, you already know Pepper." He nodded to Steve's direction, "This is my right hand woman, Pepper Potts."

Steve nodded his head to Pepper, so does Natasha. Up close, Steve can see blue freckles scattered on her face, plus a marking that resembles human eyebrows. Pepper's blue lips curled upward in amusement upon looking at them. "SHIELD agents again? Who are you anyway?" she asks Steve.

Unconsciously, Steve straightened his sitting position, before answering, "Commander Steve Rogers, ma'am."

"Commander, eh?" Stark commented, that calculating look back in his eyes.

"Be nice, Tony." chided Pepper.

Stark chuckled, "Okay, okay, as the lady insisted, I'll be nice." he said, raising both of his hands, conceding defeat before sobering up. "Your offer is very interesting, Commander. However, I'm in no position of leaving Omega right now. Not when we are having…urgent problem."

"We are willing to give our assistance in solving these…problems, if you promised to help us afterwards." Steve said, while Natasha keeps her face impassive. Only one glance to Steve's direction betrayed her poker face. It was practically said, 'what the hell, Steve?'

Stark's eyes crinkled on the side as he appraised Steve's offer, then after a moment, he eyed Pepper and nodded. She nodded back. Stark clapped his hands once, "It's settled then. Pepper will escort you wherever you need to go." he stood, followed by the ever-loyal Pepper. "Have a good day, Commander and my formidable assassin." he smirked, then as he walked to the door added, "Tell Barton to get off the tower, will you. I guarantee your safety inside The Afterlife Club, no need to scare off my customers."

* * *

'Urgent problem' turns out to be some kind of detective jobs. There's a mysterious disease outbreak in Omega, and Tony asked them to help investigating the source. Pepper drop Steve, Natasha and Clint in a clinic on Gozu District, a district located in bottom part of Omega Station. This clinic is run by Dr. Bruce Banner, who is human and actually a biologist from Citadel—until something happened that made him found sanctuary in Omega.

Pepper warning was, never make Dr. Banner angry. Apparently the good doctor has tendency to go berserk when angered.

"It infected all species except humans and Bavarians. The symptom started with rashes, and headache. In a week time after infection, people started to throw up, in two weeks the hemorrhaging started, followed by multi-organ failures. Almost 100% the infected ended in death." Dr Bruce Banner explains, hands unconsciously messed with his curly brown tresses. The man looks tired and haggard, the effect of working long hours with minimal rest, due to the current disease outbreak. Steve honestly can't see him in berserk mode, because the man looks calm, if not a little guarded. He keeps distance from other people, and the eyes behind those glasses never look directly on other people's eyes.

"Have you found out what causes all of this?"

"It's a virus, but nothing we have seen before. The database that we have cannot recognize it."

This actually seems familiar, Steve recalled. Similar virus outbreak has happened in Omega, several centuries ago, in his age. The Collectors used the same virus to annihilate all except humans and vorca, so they can 'harvest' human easier from Omega. The Vorca people agreed to help them so they can become Omega's ruler. Steve told Dr. Banner exactly just that.

The doctor considered it for a second, then says, "I'll see if there's still data that can be salvaged from back then, even if we lost most part of it in the war. I'll need further info about that, Commander."

"Steve, please. Yes, I will stay here to help."

"I'll try to look in the slum, maybe someone will open their mouth."

"You do that, Clint. I'll go to Pepper asking her if there's anyone suspicious lately. See you later, Steve." With that, Natasha and Clint go out, leaving Steve all alone with Dr. Banner.

"How high is the possibility a virus stay alive for centuries?" Steve asked.

"Given the environment, the probability is high enough."

"With the possibility of a traitor inside, one who works with The Collectors, which one is higher?"

Bruce stopped typing on his computer, suddenly looked thoughtful. "Collectors are the slavers from Omega-4 Relay, aren't they?" at Steve's nod, he continued, "There's a rumor lately, that Tony Stark has meetings with them."

At Steve's expression, Bruce added, "Tony Stark is many things, but he's not slavers. My best bet is he's trying to buy a piece of their technology, to refine his own weapon."

The thought of Tony as weapon dealer is not really comforting either. Steve averted his gaze outside, to the dim light of the street, to the people passes by, then realized that less non-human are present. "I wonder why anyone would do this kind of thing." he said.

"When it comes to Collectors business, nobody's ever sure. All I know is that they are slavers."

Steve was quiet for a moment, until he noticed something. "Isn't it unusual for Quarians to be here?" he asked, thumbs pointed at three Quarians ducking into an alley. Quarians rarely visit place like Omega slums, mostly because their weak immune system, despite the full-body suit they used whenever they are out of their mothership.

Bruce managed to catch the sight of the Quarian's robe before they disappeared. "Huh. Weird. Though they are also immune to this virus because of their suit, they aren't usually willing to risk it."

"I think I'll check on them. Good day, doctor!"

Bruce's "Bye Steve!" was faintly heard by Steve through the closed door behind him.

* * *

The Quarians are gone. However, their trail led Steve to one of the dock, where several Batarians stand guard. Steve initally decided to just check a little bit, because Batarian guards in Omega is not a strange sight, especially since Stark's close person is a Batarian. Suddenly, a familiar starship appeared on the sky, before slowly descending to dock. As the door open, three Collectors step down the ladder. One seems to be the leader, while the other two act as guard, standing closely while holding a weapon.

Steve is rather surprised when Tony Stark all but strolled into view, accompanied by Obadiah Stane and a Quarian that must be R'hodey. After what seems to be conversation between them, two Batarians come out dragging a flailing, kicking human male. One of the Collector hit him on the head, making the human fainted before dragging the limp body inside their starship. The head of Collector procured a box to be given to Stark, who let his Quarian guard take it in his stead. It seems to be concluding their exchange, so Steve slipped back into the alleys just as the starship faded in the distance.

_Stark and Collectors, huh? Should've seen that one coming_.

* * *

When Steve, Natasha and Clint go back to Afterlife Club, they go straight to Tony's private office. The brown-haired man is sitting with R'hodey, strangely with his hood open, and Pepper. Upon noticing them, Tony sports a large grin, "Hello, fellow SHIELD agents! How was your investigation?" he asked, getting up from where he sat. The man gestured to all three agents to sit down on the plush sofa.

"Let me introduce you to my friend R'hodey, our resident Quarian. R'hodey, these are SHIELD agents. You know Natasha, the purple one is Clint Barton, and the hunky guy is Commander Rogers."

Recognition dawned in R'hodey's eyes, whose features are very similar to human's. He smiled, nodding his head, "Ah, the archer and the super soldier. Pleased to meet you."

Natasha's eyes narrowed, "That is a secret."

"My dear, no SHIELD secret are safe from me." Tony said with a smirk, the kind of smirk that made Steve twitch.

"That, unsurprisingly, is not comforting." Clint commented. "Don't you have good drinks, Stark? I sure need one if you want to talk about our security loophole."

"Fair enough." Tony said to fetch several more glass for them.

"Has Dr. Banner contacted you?" Natasha asked.

Tony, who busied himself in pouring drinks for everyone in the room, shrugged. "Not that I know of. Pepper?"

The Asarian picked up her glass, taking a sip she answered "No, why? Do any of you have new information?"

"Actually, I do." Clint answered, "I asked around to trace the origin of the outbreak. The first victim was from Doru District."

If Tony were surprised, he didn't show it. Doru District is located near Omega's vital utility system, including the water treatment plant. "I gather as much," Tony said, "Otherwise it's impossible for the outbreak to spread that fast."

"A Batarian were frequently seen around the plant, precisely everyday in seven days prior to the first victim. I specified the face with your central system, we found a match."

"Forward the face to R'hodey and Stane, they will find the Batarian for us." at that, R'hodey redone his hood and promptly leave without a single word. "Anything else?" Tony asked.

"Dr Banner and I concluded that this virus maybe originated from the Collector." Steve answered. "It happened before several centuries ago."

"And where did you find this information?" Tony asked.

Steve averted his eyes, "I was there."

This time, Tony did not bother to hide his surprise. "Seriously? You're pretty spry for an old man, what is your secret, pilates?"

"Try being dead."

Tony lean back to the sofa, taking a small sip of his drink. "Huh. So that's what the Super Soldier project really about? Human revival?"

"That's classified." Natasha cut the conversation before it developed more. "What do we do now?" she asked Steve.

Before Steve managed to answer that, Tony cut them off. "Nothing." the man said, "From now on it will be dealt by Omega, and Omega only. Thank you for your cooperation."

Steve's hand tightened on his glass, "Dr. Banner need Collector's technology to analyze."

"I happen to have one. Good day, Commander." Tony raised his glass in dismissal. However, Steve will have none of it. "It was lucky of you." he said, "How many humans did you trade to get it?"

Tony put his drink on the table and inclined his body to Steve's direction. "So the good Commander spied on me, after my kindness for you. How noble."

"What kindness? You did nothing." Steve said seriously.

"I did not have you killed. Believe me, I didn't become Omega's number one man by being a pacifist." Tony said with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Stark?"

Tony grins, all teeth. "It's a promise."

"One that you won't be able to fulfill, I assure you that."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Put on your suit and we'll see—"

"Steve!" and "Tony!" simultaneously shouted by Natasha and Pepper. Steve realized that both he and Tony have already stood face to face. Too close.

Clint's hand is heavy on his shoulder. "Come on, Steve, let's get going. There's nothing we can do here." when Steve refused to budge, the archer added more pressure to half drag him. "Come on."

With one last angry glance at Tony, Steve got out of the room. Clint and Natasha hot on his heels.

Tony scoffed, "He have flairs for dramatic, I'll give him that."

"Don't you think we need to tell him the truth, Tony?" Pepper put her hand on Tony's shoulder, trying to soothe his anger.

"He hasn't earned my trust yet, Pepper. How's the life-model decoy?" The life-model decoy is some kind of human clone that is closer to a drones in human-like flesh. Tony specifically embedded one with a tracker to infiltrate the Collector's Cruiser.

The Asarian sighs, "The signal is still on, even after its ship disappeared through Omega-4 Relay." she said, "I wish I knew where the other side of the relay goes to."

"Me too. Have you told Happy to follow R'hodey and Stane?" Happy is Pepper's human mate, one of Tony's trusted friends.

Pepper sighs, "Is it bad if I'm hoping Happy failed in finding anything?"

Tony drunk all the content in his glass in one go instead of answering.

"Give the Collector's device to Bruce. He'll know what to do." He said finally.

* * *

"Antagonizing Stark is not cool, man." Clint said as soon as they were out of Afterlife Club.

"You're one to talk." Natasha interjected, "You didn't do anything to stop them."

Clint shrugged, "It was interesting. All the sexual tension was—"

Steve stopped his steps. "It wasn't sexual tension." he protested. It wasn't, even if the Tony's anger showed Steve his true expression, not the charming persona he donned in his dealings with others. He looked alive, with his flaws and bruises.

"My bad." Clint says without remorse, his tone indicates that he didn't believe Steve. "Now where are we going?"

"Doru district."

Clint grins, "I knew it. Follow me, ladies and gentleman."

It doesn't take long for them to reach the District. Doru district is one of Omega's part that doesn't change that much over the centuries. Rows of metal door lined in a long metal corridor. Each door is marked with big numbers, codes, and name of facility. Clint leads them to a door marked 'Water Treatment Plant' and tapped its surface.

"Here is our destination."

Natasha looked around, then after deciding that nobody's there, she pointed at the grills on the floor. "This way?" she asked.

Clint opened the manhole cover then gesture to Natasha. "After you, M'lady."

The red haired woman just rolled her eyes then go down inside, Steve followed behind her. "Ooh, home sweet home." Clint said after he closed the manhole on top of him. Natasha tapped her left chest twice, making the lines on her suit glow. She tapped it again thrice, making her palm emitted white lights that can light their way. Steve followed her example.

They walked inside the sewer-tunnel for a while, until they heard people arguing somewhere on top of them.

"—I can't believe you betrayed—ARGHH!"

"Hide his body, we can't afford Stark to find out."

"How about the Batarian?"

"After he put the last batch of virus, dispose him."

"What do we—"

The conversation suddenly stopped. The steps are getting closer to where Steve and the others are hiding. The three of them exchanged glances, preparing themselves for an attack.

"It seems, we have mice." with that, laser shots coming from above them.

"Run! Run! Run!" Steve shouted as they sprinted, the floor above them collapsed behind them. Finally, Natasha found a steel ladder. Steve let Natasha and Clint climb first, fully aware that the collapsed floor and laser shoots are getting closer. As one particular shoot came directly to Steve's face, reflexively he threw up his arms to protect it. He braced himself for the pain, but nothing came.

Opening his eyes, he was astonished by the bluish energy shield coming off his arms. He let out a small, breathless laugh, SHIELD implanted him with biotic ability. Not that he was complaining.

The shooting to the floor stop, instead, he heard the battle above. He hurriedly climbs the ladder to find Natasha on top of a Quarian, pulling his hood off and electrocuted him with her bracelet. Clint are shooting energy arrow at several Collectors from behind a stack of metal crates. Steve deflected some of the laser with his newfound ability. He was pleased to know that his laser shield can be thrown off to knock out the enemy.

More enemy appeared, this time it looks like a hybrid between human and Collector's insect-like appearance. They can jump higher than average human, and armed with Collector guns. Steve knock down one of them to take his gun, then take cover behind some crates to shoot.

They were cornered, until Pepper appears with several Batarian guards and Dr. Banner. The man runs straight to the water filtration machine, covered by guards in any open side. Apparently he found the cure.

Steve saw Natasha took down a hybrid that get too close to Pepper's back, while the Asarian hit the last Quarian's head. "This is for my mate!" she shouted before shooting him in the face.

Steve jumped to Dr Banner's side when he realized all the Batarian guards were taken down by hybrids. Just when the doctor finished diluting the cure inside the processed water, a stray laser beam hit his back. "Doctor!" Steve's warning was futile as the doctor fell to the ground.

Steve was going to approach Dr. Banner when Pepper tugged his arm to stop him. The blond man looking at her, question in his eyes. "We need to get him to a doctor." Steve protested.

"No, Steve, we need to get out of here before he woke up."

"But he's unsconsciou—"

That was when Dr Banner's body seems to be growing. His muscles are bulging on his suit, and it is getting bigger that the suit started to tear. The skin inside is green, unlike human body. Pepper's tugging getting more persistent, "Anytime now, Commander!"

As the green creature roared, Steve pushed his feet to run as fast as possible. Vaguely he heard the grunt of hybrids and Collectors behind him, but he ignored it. He needed to get everyone to safety.

* * *

They are assembled in a warehouse, which location is unclear to Steve because he was blindly following Pepper through all twists and turns of 'underground' Omega. He is relieved to see Natasha and Clint are already safe in front of the warehouse when he arrived. Pepper inserted codes to a panel beside the door to make it open. The inside of this warehouse is full of metal crates, which Steve assumed was full of weapon.

To Steve's surprise, it was Stane who waited for them inside. The Batarian is standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed. His four eyes blinked in surprise when he saw Steve, Natasha and Clint walking behind Pepper.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Lady Pepper?" Stane asked.

"Oh cut it off, Stane. You know damn well why I'm here. I need your stash of weapon."

Stane signaled to another Batarian with a tilt of his head, who punch a code that make one side of the wall slide open. "Help yourself." Stane supplied.

"Are you sure this guy can be trusted? I thought the one who spread the virus was Batarians." Natasha whispered to Pepper when the Asarian step forward.

"I can hear you, you know?" Stane said, pointing at something passable as ear on his head.

"Tony was suspicious of him, at first. But Stane was never shy at showing his intention." Pepper said, studying the array of weaponry on the wall. It varied, from assault rifle to heavy weapons. Steve can see Clint itches to have his hands on those.

Stane scoffed, "This virus outbreak is a cowardly move." the Batarian looks genuinely offended. "Even Batarian has honors."

"That, and Tony traced all your dealings, your money and your clients. You came out clean." The Asarian said while inspected a submachine gun, turning it around on her hands. Natasha followed, checking out the Black Widow Sniper Rifle by shooting one of the crates. _Old model_, she mused, _but the accuracy still good._

"Omega is one of few places where a Batarian can have a decent life." Stane started, eyes never strayed from the two women raiding his weapon stash, "Tony is fair to us, I will not rob my people of their opportunity in this place." Stane uncrossed his arms, then continued "For years I collected Tony's weaponry. We smuggled it, yeah, but Tony was perfectly aware of that."

"Did you know about this?" Steve asked Pepper, who averted her eyes. She did. "Why did Tony let it happened?" he asked again.

Pepper scoffed, "This is Omega, Steve. Nothing is legal here. Besides, Stane never sell the weapons to Tony's enemy so he let it slide. The illusion of power works well for you, isn't it, Stane?"

The Batarian grins, all teeth. "I'll kill him when he failed Omega."

Pepper takes a gun from Stane's shelf, "Well at least you're honest. I'll let you rule Omega together with me while Tony gone."

That caught Stane's attention. "Where will he go?"

"SHIELD expedition, with me." Steve takes one of the smaller guns and pocketed it. "Back to current problem, if it's not Stane—no offence, Stane—then who?"

"None taken. I had my men investigated this also, because the one who spread the virus is rumored to be Batarian We caught him red-handed but he managed to run. I figured someone tried to frame me, that's why I lay low while waiting for the real mastermind to show up."

"Convincing." Natasha commented, her hand caressed a heavy weapon, almost lovingly. Steve can see it in her eyes that she definitely will take it with her.

Ignoring Natasha's jab, Stane continued, "I knew Happy was following me, but I managed to shake him off my tail." Pepper's eyes dimmed at the mentioning of her mate—who was caught in earlier fight with Quarians and the hybrid—"Later, though, I heard from one of my men that Happy was seen talking with R'hodey. I thought Tony was conspiring to eliminate me." He said, crossing his arms.

"Tony will not do that." Pepper said.

Stane scoffed, "The moment my men reported to me that Happy was captured, I know he won't. Why do you think I let you raided my weapon stash? Come to think of it, where's Tony?"

This time, Pepper let out a long-suffering sighs. "Knowing Tony? He's in the middle of it."

The Batarian leader smirked, "What are we waiting for, then?"

* * *

'We' in Stane's definition is more like, 'You go eliminate the enemy while I evacuate everyone to upper side of Omega while Pepper stationed in Afterlife Club to give direction'. For a man who talks high about honor, he willingly chooses the safer path. Figures.

Steve's boots made loud clanking sounds as he half-running to the shuttle station, followed by Clint and Natasha. The communicator inside his helmet cracked to life as Pepper's voice coming out.

"Everyone can hear me?" A chorus of affirmative was heard. "Good. Now take the shuttle to Gozu District. I received information from Tony that there's a Collector's ship hovering near it. We are convinced that our culprit is there."

"We're inside the shuttle already. Deploying now." Clint said, assuming control of the shuttle while everyone else strapping themselves on passenger's chair.

"Any suggestion, Pepper?" Steve asks.

"If you see someone in red-and-gold armor, it's Tony. Please shoot his ass for me."

"Noted." The blond says dryly.

It wasn't long until they docked in Gozu, and unsurprisingly, welcomed by a small explosion. True to Pepper's words, Tony in his red-and-gold armor was hovering near a docking Collector Cruise, vigorously shooting any hybrids that come too close. Clint waste no time to climb the nearest tower, looking for perfect spot for shooting. Natasha took cover behind a destroyed shuttle, no doubt a result from Tony's earlier fight.

Steve deflected a shot coming his way with his biotic shield, getting more comfortable at using them. After almost decapitating one Collector's head with a hard blow, he snatched its heavy pistols to shoot the next enemy. From the perimeter of his sight he saw Tony chase after a Quarian, as well as the fire cannon of Collector Cruiser trained into the man's direction. He throw his biotic shield to knocked out several hybrids that stand in his way, tackled Tony down and barely managed to raised his biotic shield against the onslaught of fire engulfing them.

Natasha and Clint simultaneously shoots the canon's base until it blow up.

Tony's helmet became transparent on his face area, "Why did you come after me?" he asked after Steve dragged him inside of an alley.

"I lost many people, Stark. I'm trying not to lose anyone else." Also turning his helmet's front part transparent, Steve offered his hand to help Tony standing up. "Have any idea how to stop this?"

Tony made a move to wipe his face, but aborted it when he realized him still wearing metal gauntlet on his hand, and helmet on his head. "The Collector—they put huge amount of bombs here in Gozu. Biological bombs. Enough to kill everyone on Omega. I think the detonator is in their General's hand."

Collector General is pretty much the leader on every Collector Cruise, the one enhanced with 'super' abilities compared to normal Collector. _Shit_, Steve cursed inwardly.

"Guys, did you copy that?" Steve said to communicator, which reciprocated by his team and Pepper. "I'll see if I can take down the General and get the detonator. Natasha and Clint, both of you handle other Collectors and Hybrids, try finding Happy while you're at it. Pepper, can you evacuate everyone to Mass Relay?"

"I'll see what I can do." The Asarian said.

"Good." Steve turns his attention at Tony, "Are you going with me?"

He can see the brunette considering his offer, but the man's eyes keeps straying to the direction where R'hodey was gone.

"I'll see if I can take over the detonator from the Collector." Steve said before Tony answered, "Can you handle R'hodey?"

Tony covered his face once again. "Leave him to me."

"Great. Keep the communicator open."

"Roger that, Rogers." With that, Tony was gone in a blur of red-and gold. Steve rolled his eyes

* * *

Steve entered the Cruiser without any hardship, since his formidable assassin team did a great job of hunting down any enemies. He wandered inside its corridor to track the General when he heard Tony's voice from his communicator.

"Tell me you're not in on this." It was Tony.

"Didn't see this coming, did you Tony?"

"Why did you do this? I thought—"

"That we're friends? What good is our friendship when my people have nowhere to go!"

"All you need is ask, I'll accept them here!"

"They cannot survive here! Not unless I get rid of every other species and creating new, sterile environment! My people are dying!" Several gunshot sounds almost stopped Steve on his track, but he carried on walking. He has more important thing to do. A collector blocked his way but it was easily defeated by a well-placed shooting.

R'hodey's voice was heard again, "Stop right there or I will kill everyone!"

This time Steve really stopped walking. He blanched, the detonator was—it was in R'hodey's hand all this time. And the General is nowhere in sight. "Steve—" It was Clint, "I found the General's dead body here."

"Why did you lie to me, Tony?" Steve said through gritted teeth. The commander wastes no time to run out of the Cruiser, planning to reach Tony's place.

"No you won't." Steve heard Tony responding to Rhodey, bitterly.

R'hodey's voice lost its steadiness, "You rigged this place."

"Commander, this is a good time to take your teams back to the shuttle."

"Damn it Stark!" Steve cursed again, this time running to nearest shuttle, right behind Clint and Natasha who managed to drag Happy's limp body inside. Not long after the shuttle deployed, the bomb goes off, systematically separating Gozu district with the rest of Omega. Several moments after that, the districts mass was sucked inside a black hole, effectively eliminate all big debris before vanishing as well.

Steve watched it all through shuttle's window, wide-eyed. He can feel the beginning of a panic attack, his knees gave out beneath him. Once again he failed—he lost his team. Not agai—

A red-and-gold armor shot through the empty space, right beside the window. It crash-landed on one side of Omega. "I'm alright!" Tony shouted through the communicator. "I'm—ugh—mostly alright." He said again.

"We got Happy." Natasha reported to Pepper, who thanked her with a relieved voice.

Steve's own relieved feeling was short-lived, replaced by anger to Tony. Anger and worries and… something else.

* * *

Tony was just finished peeling off his battle gears on his private chamber when Steve barge in. The commander already changed his attire to casual, thermal robe swished behind him as he walked. His posture was rigid, fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

"You lie to me!" the Commander all but shout the moment he laid his eyes on Tony.

"I had no choice! R'hodey was MY problem! I can't let anyone else hurt because of it!"

"Then why did you blow the district?" Steve asked again, which retaliated by Tony with no less heat. "I can't afford to lose any more time! My calculation is perfect, Rogers! No one's dead!"

"YOU were almost dead! There's always unknown factor in a battle, you can't just—"

"Just what? Back off and let all of us die together? That's sweet, but no, thanks, Commander." that last part was said with mocking note.

"It's not an excuse to blow up your own bomb with you still on that part!"

"I created that bomb! I know its power!"

"Oh you would know EVERYTHING about bombs, wouldn't you?"

Tony's eyes narrowed, voice taken an icy note. "What did you imply, Commander?" he took a step forward.

"I don't know, what do YOU think?" Steve took another step, making them now standing chest-to-chest, face only centimeters from each other.

"You think you're all good and mighty, huh? You're just a zombie, Rogers, a lab experiment. Everything special about you comes from a bottle."

Oh and isn't that sting. Rage clouded Steve's vision. His hand grabbed Tony's collar, wanting to beat some sense into that thick skull. "I met a lot of people like you. You wield power like it was your right but inside, you're just empty! Rotten! Weak!" How he wanted to beat Tony within an inch of his life, even more so when the man defiantly look at him in the eye and gritted, "Don't presume you know anything about me, pretty boy."

The next thing he knew, Tony is kissing him with all his might.

It doesn't take long for Steve to reciprocate. Steve always wanted to erase that smirk off Tony's face, swallowed every sassy comeback the man has. Their first kiss was anything but brutal, all teeth and tongue, which Tony replied with the same fervor.

Suddenly it was too hot, too urgent for clothes. Tony pawed at Steve's robe—why is the man wearing thermal robe on top of his casual clothes?—and pulling at his clothes' fastener. Steve's hands leaves hot trails on Tony's spine, then pulled their body flushed with each other. The friction was delicious, so do all the bites and bruises and scratches. Their completion was like a raging storm, a hot and powerful moment on Steve and Tony's combined hand. Both are left panting, after, with Tony slides to the floor, Steve followed him in a tangle of sweaty limbs. The blond's forehead leaned on Tony's shoulder, blue eyes looking up at the man's face, whose eyes was closed with a sated expression. It took all Steve's willpower not to kiss Tony's swollen mouth, to take all his remaining breath.

Instead, he pushed himself to stand. Steve was sure he ripped off their clothes at one point. Which is why he picked up a tattered shirt from the ground, after. "This changes nothing." Tony said from where he sits, seemingly unconcerned with his nakedness, though Steve can't be certain since the man now covered his face with his arm.

The Commander finished wearing the remains of his clothes. His robe, thankfully, are still intact so it can cover his lack of shirt. He glanced at Tony, "You're still coming with me to Alta Prima."

It wasn't even a question.

* * *

The Avengers is a magnificent ship. Designed and built by Tony Stark himself, it was the most advanced human starship. One thing that differentiates this ship with others is the number of crew needed to run it, because it was equipped with an AI that can take over the work for many crews.

"I present to you, my artificial intelligence, JARVIS. Say hello to the teams—sorry, formidable assassins. Teams, this is JARVIS."

A male voice with a tilting accent that is similar with ancient British answered, "Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I've heard a lot about all of you."

"By 'heard', he means 'hacked SHIELD server'." At Clint's horrified face, Tony added, "Let's just go with 'heard'. Semantics."

"This artificial intelligence, isn't it…dangerous? Like the Geth?" because Steve fought Geth before, a race of networked artificial intelligence, and they are nasty. Before his miraculous resurrection, he had the scars from his close encounter with Geth's laser weapon. After, though, he lost all reminders of every battle he fought—and won. He was practically rebirthed, and it's still made him feel conflicted.

"I built JARVIS based on Geth technology, yes, but I assured you, he is in no way similar with Geth AI. Firstly, he's smarter than them. Secondly, he's not my slave, but my friend. Friends tended not to harm each other."

Steve is pretty sure Tony was referring to Geth's rebellion to their maker, the Quarian. Suddenly he wondered if Tony already recovered from R'hodey's death.

"Your kind words warmed my circuitry, Sir."

"Anytime, JARVIS, anytime."

Nobody look convinced, but in the end, they all just shrugged and decided to trust Tony in this.

The Avengers, a starship with only five persons on board, left Omega Station on year 3127CE for an expedition to Bahak System. Commanded by Steve Rogers, under SHIELD authority. Its First Officer was Tony Stark, a civilian engineer. The crews are Natasha Romanova and Clint Barton, accompanied by Dr. Bruce Banner.

Steve looked at his crew, one by one, though his gaze lingered a bit longer on Tony. Things between them has moved to beyond awkward. Steve can tell that they still cannot trust each other—after all, Steve has yet known what happened to the human given to Collectors by Tony—only their mission kept them together. Feeling Steve's eyes on him, the brown-haired man raised one eyebrow to Steve's direction, a smirk plastered on his face. That little shit is always managed to make Steve lose his composure, for a reason he doesn't want to think about.

Tearing his eyes from Tony to the control station, Steve forces himself to concentrate on the map in front of him. It's a long way from Omega to their destination. They will have to make several Mass Relay stops. "Are you ready, JARVIS? To Exodus Cluster." Steve said.

"Certainly, Commander."

And thus, the journey begins.

.

.

.

**End of Part 1**

* * *

**author's note:**

I used Mass Effect universe and tweaked it to my convenience, so I'm sorry for any inaccuracy. Also, I didn't put this story on cross over section because all characters are from The Avengers.


End file.
